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SALT LAKE CITY — A Davis County resident who last week was diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, also attended Brigham Young University's basketball game against Gonzaga last month, officials said.
Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox confirmed on Twitter that the same person who was diagnosed with the disease last week after returning to Utah from a cruise ship attended the game.
Officials are aware of other places the person visited, and everyone who came in contact with them has also been contacted, Cox said.
"According to the health department, the individual had mild symptoms on Feb. 22 and the risk of transmission to others at the game is low. As a precaution, those who were sitting within six feet of the individual are being contacted to let them know of the possible exposure," BYU officials said in a tweet.
Anyone at risk will be contacted via phone call or letter, according to Jenny Johnson with the Utah Department of Health.
Individuals who attended the game and have not been contacted have no reason to worry, she assured. Johnson also said since it’s been longer than 14 days, anyone without symptoms doesn’t need to isolate or get tested for the disease.
The game was Feb. 22 at the Marriott Center in Provo. BYU said the person was not a member of the university's campus community and their diagnosis does not represent a new case of COVID-19 in Utah.
Utah officials announced Friday that the person was diagnosed with COVID-19 just a few hours after Gov. Gary Herbert declared a state of emergency in preparation for the virus.
The person is still the only Utahn diagnosed with coronavirus in the state. The risk for the general public is still considered low, according to Utah health officials.
A sellout crowd of 18,987 attended the game, which also saw BYU fans storm the court after their team won 91-78 over then-No. 2 ranked Gonzaga.
Those not contacted are not considered to be at risk and don't need to take any action, BYU explained.
"State and county health officials indicate there is no ongoing risk within the Marriott Center. All high-touch surfaces are regularly disinfected. No closure of the facility is necessary at present," the tweet reads.
BYU was contacted by the Utah County Health Department to notify the university that an individual diagnosed with COVID-19 attended a basketball game in the Marriott Center on Feb. 22, 2020. 2/7
— BYU (@BYU) March 9, 2020
No further information about the person's diagnosis was given.
The university promises to assess the safety of hosting large gatherings on campus and urged those asking for more information to visit coronavirus.utah.gov and BYU.edu/coronavirus.
Students and employees are urged to stay home if they think they are sick. University travel, including study abroad programs for 2020 spring and summer terms to China, Italy, Mongolia and South Korea have been suspended until further notice, the university said.
Contributing: Sean Walker and Lauren Bennett, KSL.com
